A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to information retrieval systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for highlighting query terms in search results.
B. Description of Related Art
Conventional techniques for searching a hypertext medium, such as the World Wide Web (“web”), are replete with deficiencies. To perform a search on the web, a user typically uses a web browser, such as the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers. The user enters one or more search terms into the browser. In response, the browser generates a query request to a search engine. The search engine typically returns a list of result links to the browser, which, in turn, displays the list to the user.
To view a document associated with one of the links, the user typically selects the link by, for example, clicking on it using a mouse. Sometimes, the user desires to determine where the search terms are located in the document to determine the document's relevance. Conventional information retrieval systems require that the user perform a word search on the document to locate each occurrence of the search terms.
As a result, there exists a need for mechanisms for highlighting search terms in a retrieved document to aid a user in determining the document's relevance.